Inside Wellington’s World of WearableArt Awards Show

NEW Zealand’s largest arts show has kicked off for the year, complete with 16 Shaolin monks, 8 aerialist performers, 166 costume designs, 1700 hours in the makeup chair and 3000 false lashes.

Monday 22nd September Judges Night

WHAT do you get when you add 16 Shaolin monks, 8 aerialist performers, 166 garment designs, 1700 hours in the makeup chair and 3000 false lashes? New Zealand’s largest arts show.

The World of WearableArt Awards Show is held each year in Wellington, and has drawn critical acclaim for being “a new theatrical world into which incredible garments are brought to life.”

WOW (as it is colloquially known) aims to take art off the wall and exhibit it as a live show, complete with music, dancing and theatrics galore. It doubles as a competition, followed by an exhibition.

The Secret of the Golden Flower by Joanne Peacock, UK

This year marks the Wellington WOW Award Show’s tenth anniversary. To celebrate — and to give you an idea of the scope of the production that has the likes of Stephen Fry claiming it’s “simply fantastic” — here’s a bit of a breakdown by numbers:

50,000: How many people will attend the WOW Awards Show from around the world.

Back to the Future Chrome Queen by Joanne Peacock, UK

$22.6 million: Over the three-week show season, WOW is expected to inject literally millions of dollars into the Wellington economy. The show runs from September 25 to October 12.

171: That’s how many designers who have been selected as finalists, from countries including Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, India, and of course, Australia.

Only Angels Have Wings by Nikoline Liv Andersen, Denmark

2,500: How many mascara wands are going to be used during the show season.

16: WOW will see a performance every night by 16 Shaolin monks from Songshan Shaolin Temple Warrior Monks’ Training Base in Henan, China.

Sulphur Crested Frockatoo by Emily Valentine Bullock, New Zealand

2,000: The Metastasis creation, a finalist garment made up of recycled wire from televisions, computers and printers, took over 2,000 hours to complete.

42: There are 42 professional dancers performing at the WOW show, including dancers from Footnote New Zealand Dance, Okareka Dance Company, New Zealand School of Dance, The New Zealand Dance Company and UNITEC.

Fenced Off by Luiz Fernando Sereno Penna, New Zealand

Eight: Look to the skies: There will also be eight aerialist performers.

8,862: How many cast and crew it takes to pull the show together.

Optical by Renee Louie, New Zealand

1,700: Make-up artists will spend 1,700 hours creating faces to match the weird and wonderful garments on display.

7,000: All that make-up’s got to be taken off somehow ... last year, WOW producers used 7,000 baby wipes to do just that.

111: There are over a hundred child and adult models needed to don the design creations throughout the WOW Awards Show.

Colourless Rhythm by Tiel Janssen, Netherlands

Seven: From Bizarre Bra to Children, there are seven award categories at this year’s WOW. Other categories are the American Express Open Section; Wellington Airport Avant Garde Section; Air New Zealand South Pacific Section; Weta Workshop Costume & Film Section KINGDOMS OF THE EAST; Spark Digital Creative Excellence Section: AIRBORNE.

$24,000: That’s how much prize money you’ll receive if you win the top gong, the Brancott Estate Supreme WOW Award. The next biggest prize on offer is $6,000, which you’ll take home if you win first place in any of the sections.

Baroque Living Room by Tess Tavener Hanks, Australia

Four: The number of guest judges, which includes Vicki Taylor from fashion label Taylor Boutique; artist Jeff Thomson; The Lord of the Rings and King Kong Academy Award winner Sir Richard Taylor; and Australia’s Beverley Dunn, Academy Award winner for Best Production Design for set decoration on The Great Gatsby.

32: How many award-winning garments are housed in the permanent WOW collection, which will go on display on Friday 21st November 2014 at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

In Flight by Liz Ritchie, New Zealand

Three: Out of the 166 entrants, a lucky three Aussies took home awards. They include Jessica Thimpson, who scored second place in the Children’s Section for Hobart the White, Tess Tavener Hanks, who won the First Time Entrant Award with her Baroque Living Room piece; and Svenja XX, who won the Wellington International Award: Australia & South Pacific Design Award with Fènghuáng.

Hobart the White by Jessica Thompson, Australia

More:worldofwearableart.com/

News.com.au will be travelling to Wellington to visit the World of WearableArt Awards Show. Keep an eye out on our Twitter and Instagram for more incredible pictures.